Much-anticipated independent films arrive on local screens this week

Three very different but equally anticipated independent films open this Friday, April 11 at our beloved local arthouses.

Two of my picks open at Sundance Cinemas downtown. I’ll start with The Retrieval, a dramatic film by Texas filmmaker (and Rice grad) Chris Eska, one of the best reviewed independent features of the past year. Set in Civil War times, it showcases strong performances by an ensemble cast led by Houston actor, Tishuan Scott. Chris and Tishuan will be on hand for screenings on Friday and Saturday this weekend, doing introductions and post-screening question and answer discussions. The Retrieval has had a very successful ride on the international festival circuit following its debut at the South by Southwest Film Festival last year. Several local organizations are hosting screenings this weekend, offering a chance to learn more about what’s coming up in the local film scene.

A documentary I’ve been reflecting on since seeing it last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival, Finding Vivian Maier, opens at the River Oaks Theater on Friday. It’s an eye-opening portrait of a woman who worked as a nanny in the Chicago area, all the while involving her charges in her penchant for obsessively taking photographs. Most of those who knew her had no clue about her exceptional photographs — included in the permanent collection of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and many other institutions — during their acquaintance with her. Her quirky and talented persona come through clearly in this fascinating film.

It speaks volumes about the circles I travel in that people have been asking me when they’ll be able to see Jodorowsky’s Dune, opening on Friday at Sundance Cinemas. It’s hard to put into words, so I’ll share this write-up from the film’s website: “This fascinating documentary explores the genesis of one of cinema’s greatest epics that never was: cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky’s (EL TOPO) adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi classic Dune, whose cast would have included such icons as Salvador Dali, Orson Welles and Mick Jagger. In 1975, following the runaway success of his art-house freak-outs EL TOPO and HOLY MOUNTAIN, Alejandro Jodorowsky secured the rights to Frank Herbert’s Dune – and began work on what was gearing up to be a cinematic game-changer, a sci-fi epic unlike anything the world had ever seen.

Jodorowsky enlisted an elite group of artistic mercenaries, including French comic book artist Moebius, who illustrated the storyboards; screenwriter Dan O’Bannon (DARK STAR, ALIEN); artist H.R. Giger (ALIEN); and sci-fi paperback illustrator Chris Foss. For the cast, he lined up icons ranging from Salvador Dali and Mick Jagger to Orson Welles, and even his own son, who was put through two years of gruelling martial arts training to prepare for his role. Unfortunately, the film was never made.

Director Frank Pavich tackles one of cinema’s most enthralling “what could have been” stories, weaving interviews with the charismatic Jodorowsky, his collaborators, and supporters (including DRIVE director Nicolas Winding Refn), together with animation to bring Moebius’ storyboards to life. Even though the project exists only in the imaginations of its creators, and as the hundreds of illustrations they left behind, Pavich’s documentary chooses not to dwell on failure, but rather celebrates the ways in which the creative dreams of Dune planted seeds for many other iconic films that came after it, from STAR WARS to ALIEN to countless more. This is an inspirational story about the power of the creative spirit, one that establishes Jodorowsky as a master of cinema and a true visionary of our time.”